Category: News

A charity that provides free and confidential support to the veterinary community has received more than £1,000 courtesy of Willows.

Last year, we encouraged our Veterinary colleagues to sign up to our Vet professional portal, via which they are able to book CPD, make referrals, request advice and submit teleradiology requests.

With almost 600 veterinary professionals signing up to the portal, we have been able to donate £1,194 (£2 per registration) to Vetlife.

The donation will help the charity, which was set up more than 120 years ago to support people from the veterinary community who have emotional, health or financial difficulties, build on its valuable service.

Toby Gemmill, the managing director here at Willows, said our support of Vetlife aligned itself perfectly with Willows’ focus on wellbeing, which includes an evolving and expanding wellbeing programme for all team members.

He said: “At Willows, we take the emotional, mental and physical wellbeing of our team extremely seriously, as does Linnaeus across the group.

“The veterinary industry is fast-paced and, at times, can be a highly pressurised environment, particularly over the past 12 months, when teams have worked tirelessly to ensure the continuation of the best possible care while faced with so much disruption from Covid-19

“With this in mind, the support on offer from Vetlife is particularly valuable and we were only too happy to raise as much money as we could via our vet professional portal.”

Paul Horwood, Vetlife treasurer, said: “A massive thank-you to the team at Willows for their donation.

“The past 12 months have been a challenge for all of us and the continuing support of Willows really helps. With the impact of the pandemic, a lot of fundraising events have needed to be postponed or cancelled, and that decrease in donations, combined with an increase in the need and the use of the services here at Vetlife, has been a challenge.

“This generous donation allows us to continue the 24/7/365 support that Vetlife provides to the emotional, financial and mental health of our veterinary community.”

#committedtoexcellence #alegaceyofexcellence

Our caring team have been quick off the mark to pay tribute to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore with a fundraising run for charity.

Some 24 members of the Willows team have donned their trainers for a virtual run to raise more than £3,500 for Cancer Research UK.

Organiser Alessandra Mathis, Head of Anaesthesia here at Willows, said the sad passing of Captain Tom, who gained worldwide fame and admiration with his sponsored walk which raised a staggering £39 million for the NHS, had been the inspiration behind the event.

Alessandra said: “This run was inspired by the legendary Captain Tom as we felt he deserved to be honoured by all of us, which is why I organised a run in his memory.

“Initially, we didn’t think that we would raise much (if any) money for charity, the main motivation was purely to show how much Captain Tom has inspired us all. I invited everyone at Willows to join the run – the response was tremendous, with 24 runners in total.

“We all ran as far as we could over the weekend and pushed ourselves hard to honour this amazing gentleman. In total, we covered a combined 387km, not forgetting the 60km ran by dogs of Willows’ team members!”

The pounding of pavements, roads and country tracks has paid off handsomely with more than £3,500 raised for Cancer Research, more than 17 times our original target of £200, with money still coming in.

Alessandra added: “We chose to give money to Cancer Research for two reasons, the first being because it is a charity close to our hearts after the loss of a dear colleague and friend to cancer.

“We’re also well aware that during this year of pandemic, cancer has not stopped and families and friends have still been diagnosed with this terrible disease, so we wanted to support them as much as possible.”

Alessandra was quick to praise all the runners and also the generosity of those who donated.

She said: “We have all been very proud in taking part in this and deeply touched by the generosity of everyone who has made donations.

“I know it looks like we raised a lot but it is still a drop in the ocean in the fight against cancer, so if any further donations would be hugely appreciated by everyone here at Willows.”

To donate, visit: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/willows-runners.

Huge thanks again to all the runners who took part…..

• Alessandra Mathis
• Brigite Pedro
• Cathy Bowen
• Dan Cotter
• Dawn Calt
• Eve Cannon
• Francesca Violini
• Hayley Williams
• Jade Wright (and her dog Belle)
• James Elford
• Julie Jenkins
• Katie Lynch
• Ludivine Boiron
• Mark Dunning
• Poppy Gant
• Rachel Bonham
• Katie Rose (and her dog Floyd)
• Sam Carrington Brown
• Steph Collyer
• Stephen Baines
• Tom Buckley
• Tom Reilly (and his dog Morgan)
• Tony Avery (and his dog Jake)
• Tracy Volante
• William Robinson (and his dogs Rocket and Olive)

These are exciting times at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service as we announce a new top team to help us continue to lead the industry.

We have been delivering Specialist-led healthcare for small animals in the UK for more than 30 years and have just appointed a new Managing Director and Hospital director.

Toby Gemmill, who will no doubt be familiar to many of you, has moved from his position as Clinical Director to take over the role of Managing Director from Tracey Morley-Jewkes, who has herself moved to take up a role leading the integration of five referral centres recently acquired by our parent company Linnaeus.

Toby, an RCVS and European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, has been with us at Willows for 16 years and is relishing the opportunity to lead one of the most experienced and qualified veterinary teams in Europe.

He said: “I’m delighted to be given this wonderful opportunity to lead the excellent Willows team and I’m excited about what we can achieve together.

“Having joined Willows in 2005, I have seen the Hospital grow into a large multidisciplinary centre, with some of the most talented and dedicated clinicians in the industry. I am now looking forward to helping lead the hospital forward to yet more success.

“My absolute priority will be to maintain our unswerving commitment to providing the best possible levels of care to our patients, pet owners and referring vets.”

We have also recruited the highly experienced Tony Avery to take charge as Hospital Director.

Tony had previously spent 18 years working for some of the UK’s leading healthcare providers, including Nuffield Health and BMI Healthcare. His most recent role was as Executive Director of The Priory Hospital in Birmingham.

Tony said: “My background is in human healthcare; however, I do not consider moving into the veterinary world as a radical change of direction.

“My role is still to ensure we are best-placed and equipped to deliver the highest standards of treatment, care, support and rehabilitation for sick and injured animals.

“Exactly the same principles apply at a veterinary hospital as they do in a human hospital – it’s about care, compassion and consideration.”

Tony was quick to show his caring and compassionate side at Willows. Within two weeks of arriving, he had adopted a rescue dog to live with him, his family and two cats!

We are delighted to have further enhanced our reputation as Veterinary industry leaders thanks to the introduction of electrochemotherapy treatment (ECT) as part of our World leading Cancer Care Centre.

Willows now offers the breakthrough therapy as part of our industry-leading, Specialist-led Oncology service, with the arrival of ECT – an exciting development as it can make a dramatic difference to the effective treatment of a wide-range of tumours while also minimising complications and side effects.

Head of Oncology here at Willows Dr Stephen Baines, says the new ECT service will be a huge help in caring for pets with cancer. This new initiative has been driven by Dr Chiara Penzo, one of Willows’ Medical Oncology specialists.

Dr Penzo said: “Electrochemotherapy is a reliable and versatile treatment which can be performed in virtually any patient, whatever their health status.

“It is rapid, safe and efficient, and is a cost-effective treatment that enhances the quality of life of treated patients.

“ECT also has low systemic toxicity, as the drug concentration in normal cells is low, it results in minimal or no functional impact and treated regions heal without damage to healthy tissues. Side effects from ECT are also minimal.

“It’s versatile, too. In principle, almost any type of tumour type can be tackled effectively with electrochemotherapy.

“Overall, the rate of complete tumour regression following electrochemotherapy treatment is high and response to ECT may be long-lasting.

“Even in patients with a partial response, ECT can result in improvement in the quality of life, especially in terms of reduced pain, reduction in bleeding, and reduced need for medical care.”

Our talented team here at Willows are widely acknowledged for expert cancer care. We are the only UK small animal hospital to have active Specialists in Veterinary Oncology from both a medical and surgical background, forming one of the most experienced Specialist Oncology teams in the country.

The expertise and experience of our team is underpinned with leading-edge technology and world-class diagnostics and surgical techniques, which all contributes to helping pets with cancer stay well for longer.

#committedtoexcellence #alegacyofexcellence #cancercare

From 1 January 2021, pet passports will no longer be valid for travel to and from the EU. Official Animal Health Certificates will be required for dogs, cats and ferrets.

Official Veterinarians (OVs) issued EU pet passports will no longer be valid to travel to Europe.

Instead, pets travelling from Great Britain to the EU will need an Animal Health Certificate (up to five pets on one certificate).

We will be issuing these to owners travelling with their pet to the EU from 1 January 2021.

This will affect your travel if you are arriving in an EU Member State after 11pm (GMT) on 31 December 2020.

Your pet must:

• Have a functioning microchip or tattoo
• Have a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel
• Enter the EU via a designated Traveller’s Point of Entry
• Have an Animal Health Certificate written in the official language of the country they will enter the EU
• Receive treatment against Echinococcus (a tapeworm) 24-120 hours before returning to Great Britain

The Animal Health certificate is:

• Valid for ten days from the date of issue
• Valid for a single trip into the EU
• Valid for onward travel within the EU for four months
• Valid for re-entry to Great Britain for four months after the date of issue

We suggest that you discuss your travel plans with your vet at least one month before your intended travel plans to ensure your pet is prepared for travel.

Please contact us to advise on the steps required to ensure your pet is prepared for travel and ensure you have the required appointments booked for your pet.

The best place to check for the most up to date information is on the government website:

www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit

Meet Pip, a six-year-old Miniature Daschund, who was referred to Willows in June having developing debilitating neck pain. Pip, who is normally a cheeky and energetic dog, was unable to move her head and neck without experiencing discomfort. Pip underwent a full examination with Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon Stephen Clarke and following an MRI scan it was revealed that she had herniated a disc in her neck. It was decided that surgery was not the best option for Pip and so her recovery would be centred on rest and rehabilitation.

Pip was transferred into the care of Veterinary Physiotherapist Emma Box, who assessed the impact of Pip’s condition on her musculoskeletal system and overall mobility. It was quickly identified that, like most Daschunds she loved to flap her ears. However, Pip had stopped flapping her ears since her neck pain started, and so Emma was able to use this as a progress indicator. Pip was prescribed ‘Doggy Pilates’ exercises, to improve the movement in her neck, core stability and balance. Pip took to these exercises very quickly, with a little persuasion from some cheese slices! Gradually, these exercises increased in difficulty, and Pip regained the ability to support herself through more complex movements (including ear flapping!).

Although Pip was becoming stronger, ten weeks into her recovery she had a short episode of mild neck pain. To establish a long-term pain management programme, Pip was referred to our Chronic Pain Clinic under the care of Jacques Ferreira RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. As Pip had a low risk of suffering from painful episodes for the remainder of her life it was decided that she would have cautious, regular administration of a lose dose pain killer. This treatment will help to improve her quality of life while preventing any unwanted side effects commonly associated with these pain killers.

After four long months of commitment from Pip’s owners, we are thrilled to share that she has made a full recovery. As a team, we are all so pleased to see Pip transform back into a happy and healthy dog who enjoys chasing chickens and flapping her ears again. Pip has even used her new-found core strength to try paddle boarding whilst on holiday!

Well done Pip!

#committedtoexcellence #alegaceyofexcellence #extraordinaryvetsforextraordinarypets

#multidisciplinaryvets #specialistvets #SUP

We’re delighted that our Head of Imaging here at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referrals Service is set to continue his involvement on the board of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI).

Andrew Parry, an RCVS and European Specialist in Diagnostic Imaging, who earlier this year became a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, will take on the post of Past President with the ECVDI.

Andrew, who has previously been president and vice-president of the college, explained: “The office of Past President is designed for me to be able to pass on my experience to the new President, and I am very much looking forward to the role.

“It is important for me to be able to help my successor and ensure a smooth transition, especially as a large number of reforms were undertaken in my tenure as President, to make Specialist Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging more accessible.

“Having been an officer of the ECVDI for the past five years, I am pleased and privileged to take on this new challenge.”

Andrew graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1999, completed the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2005, added an ECVDI diploma in 2010 and became an RCVS Recognised Specialist in 2012.

He joined us here at Willows in 2010. After taking a number of posts with the ECVDI, including as an examiner for the diploma, he became vice-president of the college in 2016.

The ECVDI’s stated mission is to ensure members are equipped to provide the highest quality of veterinary care and advanced knowledge in veterinary diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology, and to encourage them to share that knowledge.

Our Specialist Cardiology team have saved the life of a desperately ill puppy after carrying out intricate keyhole heart surgery.

Maverick, the cocker spaniel, was just weeks old when he underwent the pioneering surgery to repair an abnormal valve in his heart at here Willows.

The condition is called pulmonary valve stenosis, which is prevalent in cocker spaniels and prevents blood flowing through the heart correctly, putting it under enormous strain.

Our Head of Cardiology Chris Linney, who runs our congenital heart disease clinic for young dogs and cats (the UK’s first such specialist-led service) carried out the lifesaving procedure and, incredibly, the plucky puppy was back on his feet just an hour after the operation.

Maverick’s thrilled owner Sophie Rapson said: “We really can’t thank Willows enough for everything that Chris and the team have done for us.

“We never thought for one minute we would still have Maverick with us today after his alarming eight-week puppy check-up.

“The whole family is very grateful, especially the children who are super happy to have Maverick back with us.

“You would certainly never think he has had any surgery or a heart problem at all as he is such a happy, bouncy puppy. He truly is a little fighter.”

Heart Specialist Chris said: “It really was a whole team effort – from our reception team to our dedicated Cardiology nursing team providing round the clock care and support alongside our world-leading Specialists.

“With some of the latest and most advanced equipment available in the veterinary world our Specialist team provides a unique and bespoke level of care for patients with heart conditions.”

This month, Willows’ Specialist Cardiology team celebrates its five-year anniversary, having established a reputation for excellence performing the largest number of cardiac interventional produces in the UK, delivering some of the very best clinical outcomes in the world.

Our new clinic has now taken care to another level, aiming to react to heart conditions and murmurs in young puppies and kittens as soon as possible, just as they did with Maverick.

Chris added: “Often, the earlier these procedures are performed the better the outlook for the patient.

“Young puppies with congenital heart conditions like Maverick tend to do very well after surgery and his outlook for the future is now great. He will be able to enjoy life normally as he gets older.

“Early intervention is key and so, if your puppy or kitten has been diagnosed with a heart murmur or heart abnormality, we recommend that you speak to your vet about getting the condition investigated as quickly as possible, as often life-saving surgery may be available.”